


Careless

by brazenedMinstrel



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: AU where they meet when they're young, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Battle, Blood and Violence, Duelling, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, I swear it has one, Kissing, Lesbian Relationship, Love, Not Canon Compliant, Sylvanas is a ranger in training, Useless Lesbians, You Have Been Warned, Young Love, screw canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-05 07:06:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19043605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brazenedMinstrel/pseuds/brazenedMinstrel
Summary: ‘She insulted the Lord Admiral’s daughter and you cannot do that! Take your words back.’The ranger lifted her chin in defiance. ‘I shall not.’‘Then I challenge you to a duel.’The words tumbled out of Sylvanas’ mouth before she was aware of them. Only after she became conscious of what she had said, she heard the shocked gasps of her fellow trainees. Yet she righted herself up, as tall and proud as she could be. She looked past her mother’s stern gaze, into Jaina’s eyes. They were filled with fright, and Sylvanas instantly felt a stab of sadness deep in her chest.But she did not waver.‘Tomorrow, when the Sun alights Belore’s crown,’ she spat.(An AU where Sylvanas is a young, overeager ranger in training and Jaina is on a diplomatic mission in Silvermoon with her family)





	1. Chapter 1

Sylvanas sucked in a deep breath, straightening her back and shoulders. The blistering sun had heated up her helmet and the pommel of her sword to a nearly uncomfortable degree. She silently damned the heavy ceremonial armour and sent a quick prayer to Belore that the humans would quickly walk over the plaza so she could shuck off her gear and take a dive into the river to cleanse herself of the sweat. The rangers, the actual, real, sworn-in rangers at the other side of the walkway seemed to have no trouble. They all stood proudly, one hand on their sword, the other one crossed over their chests, as was traditional. Sylvanas and the rest of her trainee squadron stood in much the same way, though their arms were getting tired and sore. But as daughter of the Ranger-General, she had to stand straighter and taller than her fellow cadets.

 

A blaring horn call signaled the coming of the procession. Sylvanas winced and was promptly elbowed in the side by the trainee next to her. Clearing her throat as quietly as she could, she once again straightened herself and drew her arm up higher. The red swathe of silk across her chest, the insignia of the leader of her group of rangers-in-training, was starting to slowly slip off her shoulder. If only she could adjust it slightly so it would not fall off halfway through the ceremony. As she moved her shoulder to nudge it a little more in the direction of her neck, she was alerted to how uncomfortably sweaty her right armpit had become. Gruelling more than she already did, Sylvanas hissed through her teeth as a drop of sweat slid down her side, soaking into the padding underneath her amour.

 

The squadron of trainees next to hers, dressed in blue instead of her group’s red, clacked their boots onto the the pavement with two resounding steps, saluting the human nobles with an even movement of their arms. Sylvanas knew that it was her turn now. From the corner of her eyes, since she could not move her head to look at the procession without disrupting her perfect stature, she saw the gilded figure of king Anasterian Sunstrider approaching. Behind him, the family of humans that was visiting their country in hopes of forging some diplomatic bonds. She clenched her hand tighter on her sword, only now noticing how she was trembling from the nerves. Steadying herself as her mother taught her, with a singular deep breath, she lifted her chin high and stepped forward, exactly one step in front of the rest of her squadron.

 

They lifted their hands in salute, perfectly in unison. Sylvanas stamped on the pavement with her right boot, the rest of the novice rangers answered with two steps. It was a mighty sound that threatened to bring a smile to her lips. But she swallowed the urge down and called out, her voice higher than she wished:

 

‘ _Bal'a dash, elu'meniel mal alann!_ ’

 

She then bowed low, her long, red shoulder cape sweeping over the ground, only righting up and stepping backwards when she heard the group of adult rangers on the other side of the walkway call out the same greeting. She bumped into one of her squadmates, who giggled as she aligned herself again. The neophyte ranger behind her leaned marginally closer.

 

‘You did very well, Syl,’ she whispered. ‘Your mother will be proud.’

 

Her mother did look very proud, in fact. Lireesa Windrunner shot her daughter an approving look as she strode by. The King and his guards walked further down the plaza, disappearing from sight, while the Ranger-General halted a few feet away from Sylvanas and turned around to address the humans.

 

‘These are our rangers in training,’ she said, her Common sharply accented. ‘The pride of Quel’thalas’ future, these three squadrons will be sworn in at the end of next summer.’

 

‘They look very fine, in their armour. Simply splendid,’ the oldest human woman commented. Her blonde hair was streaked with grey.

 

 _Splendid and so damned warm,_ Sylvanas thought. _Belore could not have chosen a hotter day for this ceremony._

 

Her mother smiled warmly. ‘May I invite you to see their daily training regimen, later this week, Lady Proudmoore, Lord Admiral?’

 

Of course, the Ranger-General would grab the soonest opportunity to boast about their training. Sylvanas sighed softly. She was not particularly looking forward to a day of double exercise just so her mother could show off.

 

‘I’d like to see that, mum!’

 

Behind the Lord Admiral and his wife followed their children. Sylvanas counted two sons and a daughter. And the daughter had spoken just yet. Her hair was the softest, brightest shade of gold that Sylvanas had ever witnessed. She was wearing an elegant, long tunic, white and bordered with green. It took a few moments before Sylvanas realized that she was staring, and feeling weak in the stomach.

 

The mother nodded. ‘We shall come to the barracks, then. I think we would all like that very much.’

 

The daughter made a happy little noise, so that Sylvanas had to fight against the smile that threatened to slip onto her face. ‘Look at their armour, mother,’ she said. ‘It’s so beautiful!’

 

Then she turned to her father and said quietly, but not so quietly that Sylvanas couldn’t hear it: ‘Do you think I can touch it when we go to their barracks?’

 

The Lord Admiral smiled upon his daughter. ‘If you ask nicely, I am sure you could, Jaina.’

 

 _Jaina._ It is a beautiful name. Sylvanas felt warmth bloom in her chest. Then the girl looked at her. Straight at her, with a pair of bright blue eyes. She raised a cautious hand in a quick greeting, smiling brightly. Sylvanas briefly felt mortified. She could not break her composure, so she only nodded her head, deeply, to hide her smile. When she had lifted her head again, they were still standing there in front of her.

 

 _By the sun, why are they standing still?_ she thought, growing red in the cheeks. Oh, her mother was talking about the training that she put the rangers through, gesturing to the ones who had already finished their training.

 

Cautiously, she lifted her hand to the gilded swirls on her cuirass and traced the one running over her stomach. The girl’s eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up with the unspoken question. Then Sylvanas turned her arm and showed her the hawkstrider on the front of her bracer. Looking to her parents to see if they were distracted, the young Lady Proudmoore pointed at herself, then repeated Sylvanas’ gesture. _Can I touch it?_ she seemed to ask. So Sylvanas nodded and was rewarded with a wide smile that made her chest feel weak.

 

‘I shall show you the grand statue of Belore now. If you would follow me?’ Lireesa said, bowing and leading the way for the Proudmoore family.

 

One of the rangers on the opposite side of the road turned her head sharply at the humans’ backs.

 

 _‘Filthy, shameless little murloc,’_ she hissed in Thalassian. _‘Thinking she can just touch our rangers.’_

 

‘Hey!’

 

Before she even knew what she was doing, Sylvanas had taken half a step out of line, armour rattling. ‘Take that back!’

 

An eerie silence fell over plaza. The ranger trainees and the fully trained ones started whispering in hushed Thalassian. The humans halted and looked at her in confusion. Worst of all, her mother shot her an especially disapproving look.

 

‘What is the meaning of this, Sylvanas?’ Lireesa Windrunner asked sharply.

 

Sylvanas was shaking, her thoughts raging, panicking. But she collected herself, squaring her jaw and facing the head of the procession.

 

‘That ranger just gravely insulted… the young Lady,’ she said.

 

‘And that girl should hold her tongue before asking something so shameless,’ the ranger countered.

 

‘You cannot insult a nobleborn woman!’

 

Dismissively waving her hand, the ranger huffed. ‘You are just a recruit. So be quiet, just like the human girl, and get back in line where you belong.’

 

Sylvanas bristled. ‘This isn’t about me!’ she snapped. ‘You insulted her, not me! You called her a filthy murloc!’

 

Several gasps where heard around her. She saw the girl grow red, attempting to hide behind her father’s coat.

 

 _‘And so she is,’_ the ranger growled. _‘Now get back in line and stop making an even bigger embarrassment out of yourself. Spoiled brat.’_

 

‘Speak Common if you’re so brave!’ Sylvanas shrieked, fury boiling in her veins.

 

‘Sylvanas, please,’ her mother said. ‘There is-’

 

‘She insulted the Lord Admiral’s daughter and you cannot do that! Take your words back.’

 

The ranger lifted her chin in defiance. ‘I shall not.’

 

‘Then I challenge you to a duel.’

 

The words tumbled out of Sylvanas’ mouth before she was aware of them. Only after she became conscious of what she had said, she heard the shocked gasps of her fellow trainees. Yet she righted herself up, as tall and proud as she could be. She looked past her mother’s stern gaze, into Jaina’s eyes. They were filled with fright, and Sylvanas instantly felt a stab of sadness deep in her chest.

 

But she did not waver.

 

‘Tomorrow, when the Sun alights Belore’s crown,’ she spat.

 

Her opponent curtly nodded, her eyes boring into Sylvanas’. The Ranger-General placed her hand on the Lord Admiral’s shoulder and quietly led them away, while the girl trailed after them for a few moments before her mother grabbed her hand and dragged her along. Still stewing with anger, Sylvanas haltingly stepped back in line, staring at her feet with a deep snarl on her face.

 

~~~~~

 

Much later, when the ceremony was over and dusk had fallen, Sylvanas was sitting outside the barracks, by the river. She wished she could go to the manor where the Proudmoore family was staying, but she knew she would not be welcome there. Deep in thought, she did not hear the footsteps on the grass before they were a few feet behind her. Jumping up, she grabbed for her blade on the ground next to her. Then she froze when she saw who her visitor was.

 

‘Alleria!’ she stammered. ‘What-’

 

‘What? I think the “what” in question here is “what in Belore’s name have you done?” Sylvanas… what were you thinking?’

 

‘What was I thinking? What was _she_ thinking, you mean!’

 

Alleria shook her head, walking up to Sylvanas and grasping her hands.

 

‘No, no, little sister. That’s not what I meant.’ She sunk to one knee and looked up to Sylvanas, arcane-touched eyes meeting her sister’s silver ones. ‘What were _you_ thinking, Lady Moon. You challenged a Lieutenant in our mother’s army to a _duel._ ’

 

A Lieutenant. Sylvanas suppressed a gasp. She did not know that, nor did she pay any attention to the insignia on the ranger’s armour, as enraged as she had been.

 

Scowling, she dug her heels into the earth and looked away from her sister’s piercing blue eyes. ‘I don’t care,’ she said. ‘Lieutenant or not, you can’t call a noblewoman a filthy murloc and get away with it.’

 

‘Sylvanas…’ Alleria sighed, standing up and laying her palms onto Sylvanas’ shoulders. ‘I understand your motivation, but a duel? You’re not-’

 

‘I _am_ going to win!’ Sylvanas protested. ‘I’m the best of my squadron!’

 

‘The best of all the recruits in your rank.’ Her older sister nodded and the corner of her mouth twitched into a smile. ‘But she is an actual ranger, with thirty years of service in the army under her belt. I know her, she was one of my teachers-’

 

Alleria bent towards Sylvanas and whispered into her ear: ‘- and she is the biggest bitch I have ever faced. Made me and my squadron of trainees run ten laps in the forest when one of us was slow during the swordfighting training. But she also put down three feral lynxes at once.’

 

Pouting, Sylvanas shrugged off her sister’s hands. ‘I don’t care,’ she stubbornly repeated, turning around to glower at the river. ‘I’ll beat her and make her show her some respect.’

 

Shaking her head, Alleria once again stepped closer to her and took one of her hands, that was clenched to a fist, into hers, slowly making Sylvanas relax. ‘Perhaps I could arrange something with mother. I could offer a sum of money-’

 

‘- and pay her for insulting someone? No, she can’t get away with this.’

 

‘You’re a true ranger, I see.’ There was a hint of a smile in Alleria’s voice. ‘I can’t dissuade you, can I?’

 

‘No.’ Sylvanas shuddered in her sigh. She knew that she was being childish, completely contrary to her staunchness at the beginning of the ceremony. ‘I’ll be just and honourable, exactly like a ranger should be.’

 

 _Especially a Lieutenant,_ she thought.

 

‘Why in the world did you choose that particular location, by the way? Belore’s statue?’

 

‘It’s the only dueling ground that I could think of, at that moment.’

 

‘And-’ Alleria came to stand next to her, following the waves on the river just like her sister. ‘ - the most impressive plaza in Silvermoon City. Perfect if you want to impress someone.’

 

‘I - what?’

 

Her sister laughed. ‘Come on, ‘Nas. You’re head over heels in love with that girl.’

 

Sylvanas felt a blush rush up to the very tips of her ears in mere seconds. ‘Am not!’ she sputtered.

 

Alleria just laughed even more loudly, giving her a shove. ‘Go get rest, my brave little ranger.’

 

As Sylvanas wanted to protest, a bell was struck besides the barracks, signaling the curfew. She knew that Alleria knew exactly when that damn thing sounded and hissed a Thalassian curse at her sister, who flicked her ear in response. As she marched back to the barracks, she heard her call out after her:

 

‘Don’t forget to talk to her before the battle! Would be a shame if she didn’t know how you’re fawning over her!’


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it’s you!’ the girl exclaimed while running down the stairs.
> 
> Sylvanas felt her heart drop into her stomach. It was the Proudmoore girl.
> 
> ‘You’re really going to do it?’ she asked. ‘Because… you shouldn’t.’
> 
> Remembering who she is and what her status is, Sylvanas sunk to one knee in a deep bow, bringing her hand up to her heart. ‘My Lady,’ she said. ‘I shall defend your honour-’
> 
> ‘Oh please - please stand up. You really don’t need to bow for me like that.’
> 
> Hurriedly, Sylvanas got to her feet, staring somewhat bewilderedly at the young lady. ‘A-alright,’ she murmured. ‘Shall… we take a walk?’
> 
>  
> 
> ‘That we shall.’ With a small bow of her own and a hearty giggle, Jaina walked the final few feet up to Sylvanas and looks around her. ‘To where?’
> 
>  
> 
> ‘To the dueling grounds, if it pleases the Lady.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They smol and they gay

_ Talk to her before the battle, just talk to her.  _

 

Alleria’s words haunted her. Sylvanas marched over the road from the barracks to the dueling grounds by the statue of the Goddess. It was early. Far too early for the sun to alight the gem in Belore’s crown, as was the time she would duel the rude Lieutenant. But she could not sleep any longer, and polishing her armour and sharpening her sword had only taken so much time. Perhaps she could get some cold melon juice or sweetened milk from a vendor on the way to the statue. While she had tried to stomach some breakfast, she hadn’t been hungry at all. 

 

‘Hey! Uhm… aren’t you-’ 

 

Whirling around to the voice, Sylvanas saw a small figure on the steps of one of the manors along the road. 

 

‘Yes, it’s you!’ the girl exclaimed while running down the stairs. 

 

Sylvanas felt her heart drop into her stomach. It was the Proudmoore girl. 

 

‘You’re really going to do it?’ she asked. ‘Because… you shouldn’t.’ 

 

Remembering who she is and what her status is, Sylvanas sunk to one knee in a deep bow, bringing her hand up to her heart. ‘My Lady,’ she said. ‘I shall defend your honour-’ 

 

‘Oh please - please stand up. You really don’t need to bow for me like that.’ 

 

Hurriedly, Sylvanas got to her feet, staring somewhat bewilderedly at the young lady. ‘A-alright,’ she murmured. ‘Shall… we take a walk?’ 

 

‘That we shall.’ With a small bow of her own and a hearty giggle, Jaina walked the final few feet up to Sylvanas and looks around her. ‘To where?’ 

 

‘To the dueling grounds, if it pleases the Lady.’ 

 

‘I have a name, you know…’ 

 

‘Yes. I’m sorry.’ Sylvanas blushed and turned to lead the way. ‘I’m sorry, Jaina.’ 

 

They walked along the road in silence for a few moment. Sylvanas peeked to the side, to Jaina. She could not believe that she was walking beside her. Alleria’s knowing words sounded in her mind. She huffed, looking away from Jaina’s figure, concentrating on the pavement. 

 

‘You really don’t have to do this…’ Jaina murmured softly. ‘The duel.’ 

 

‘I must. I cannot let a noblewoman like you be insulted.’  

 

‘Aren’t elves just… like that, sometimes?’ Jaina carefully said. 

 

Sylvanas fought against a smile. They were walking over a bridge now. The water clattered against the stone pillars. The sunrays were creeping over the pavement, making the red look like molten bronze. 

 

‘My mother taught me that us Quel’dorei are swift on our feet and good with the bow. But set us up against a tauren and we will be swatted aside like a fly, she said. Humans however, they will stand their ground. Elves, particularly us high elves, are also horrendous at naval combat, so I have heard. Hence why we wish to form bonds with your family.’ 

 

‘I’m sure that much good will come of our visit to your city.’ 

 

‘Yes, and so I must teach that ranger some respect. Your honour is damaged, I shall restore it.’ 

 

Jaina held still in the middle of the bridge. She looked at Sylvanas, her mouth open, trying to form a sentence. On her part, Sylvanas was captured by the intensity of her blue eyes and the subtle sensation of arcane energy in the air around her. So, Jaina appeared to be a mage. 

 

After fumbling with her words for a while, she said: ‘Your mother was with us, yesterday evening.’ 

 

_ Oh.  _ Sylvanas felt a frown creeping onto her face. So her mother had gone to the Proudmoores while Alleria went to her. 

 

‘She said that your opponent is a lieutenant in the army.’ 

 

‘Yes, she is. My sister informed me of that.’ 

 

‘I -’ Jaina searched for Sylvanas’ eyes, but quickly averted them when the elf actually looked at her. ‘I’m scared, for you.’ 

 

Dumbfounded, Sylvanas stared at the human. She nearly wanted to bow again, before remembering that Jaina did not like that. ‘Why so?’ 

 

‘Because I don’t want you to get hurt on my behalf. Just because some rude idiot said something about me.’ 

 

‘You’re a noblewoman, Jaina.’ Sylvanas could not stress that fact enough. ‘And no one in this entire country has the right to insult you!’ 

 

‘That’s very sweet of you…’ Now Jaina appeared to be blushing too, though it could have been the sun. ‘Shall we walk on? It seems like the duel is inevitable now.’ 

 

‘I would be ashamed of myself if I did not stand up to defend a lady,’ Sylvanas said while continuing their walk to the statue. 

 

It did not take them very long to arrive. Belore’s statue stood tall in front of them, wreathed in flames and speckled with gemstones. A few quel’dorei had gathered around the plaza already, ready to watch the duel. Two rows of wooden stands had been built on either side of the oval space, turning the plaza into an arena of sorts. Vendors were setting up their shops. That gave Sylvanas an idea. 

 

‘Would you like a drink?’ she asked Jaina, who nodded. 

 

She bought some sweet melon juice with ice for her, which Jaina eagerly sipped. For herself, she purchased a glass of cold, sugared milk. The vendor gave her a compassionate look, which she answered with a scowl. Obviously, he did not believe in her. But she would convince him by beating the other ranger, and she would convince Jaina too. She startled herself with that thought. Why did she care so much? 

 

_ Alleria was right,  _ a nagging voice in her mind said. Lady Sun was right and Sylvanas knew it, but she could not let that get to her head, not so soon before the battle. She buried her face into her glass and hoped that the tips of her ears did not give away how flustered she was. She needed distraction, quite desperately so. 

 

‘How many summers do you have?’ she asked Jaina. 

 

‘How many… what?’ The girl looked up from her cool drink in confusion. 

 

‘That’s - that’s not how you say it?’ 

 

By the Gods, her Common was worse than she thought. Scrambling for the correct way to ask what she wanted to know, she emptied her drink to buy herself time. Much too quickly, as she started to cough and had to hold her stomach as a cramp shot up her side. 

 

Jaina rushed in to clap her on the back. ‘Tides, are you okay?’ 

 

‘I’m fine,’ Sylvanas managed to croak. ‘I meant… what is your age?’ 

 

‘Oh, that’s what I thought you meant! I’m sixteen. But I was born in the winter, so… fifteen summers?’ 

 

‘It’s not strictly “summers”. I suppose that “seasons” would be a better word. The Thalassian question actually means “how many times did the sun pass over this world since you were born?”’ 

 

‘That is beautiful,’ Jaina laughed. ‘Much better than “how old are you?”, it’s so plain.’ 

 

Sylvanas wanted to say that there was nothing wrong with a plain question, but her ongoing coughing fit made that impossible. When she had cleared her airways of milk, Jaina, who was softly laughing, asked: 

 

‘And you? How old are you?’ 

 

‘Seventeen summers. I was born in one, so seventeen years as well.’ 

 

‘Oh, then we’re nearly the same age!’ Jaina brightly exclaimed. She had little dimples in her freckled cheeks, Sylvanas noticed. It was cute, beyond what she could use, before a battle. ‘How funny. It’s nearly as if -  _ Oh. _ ’ 

 

Jaina looked over Sylvanas’ shoulder, her face slowly turning worried and nervous. ‘That’s my mother,’ she explained, nodding in the direction of the where the main road entered the plaza. 

 

The elf turned in that direction as well. Indeed, Jaina’s entire family was walking up to them. Her father gestured to the stands, and they all flocked to a few seats on the front row. 

 

‘You should go to them,’ Sylvanas said. 

 

‘I should,’ Jaina murmured. Then she stepped forward and grasped Sylvanas’ leather-gloved hands. 

 

The young elf felt her ears twitch and flutter. And it appeared as if Jaina had seen it as well, because she giggled, but quickly cleared her throat. 

 

‘Good luck,’ she said gravely, searching Sylvanas’ eyes with a deep, worried frown on her face. ‘Don’t get hurt… please. Not for me. It’s not-’ 

 

‘It’s worth it,’ Sylvanas said before becoming aware of herself. ‘ _ You  _ are worth it.’ 

 

She squeezed Jaina’s hands firmly, then let go quickly with a loud cough. 

 

‘I should go, indeed,’ Jaina murmured. She turned around and ran to her family in a light jog. Sylvanas watched her go with a pang in her chest. 

 

Yet now was not the time to consider very deeply whether she should be falling in love with a human. Alleria was still right. She was right and it irked Sylvanas beyond measure. 

 

Much time to think, she did not have. Her opponent strode onto the plaza, head high, with a gaggle of equally haughty looking rangers in tow. Alongside them, the Ranger-General. Sylvanas felt her stomach clench in anxiety of having to fight in front of her mother. But she took a deep breath and steeled herself, catching the eyes of her opponent with a glower. The stands had filled with quel’dorei. She recognized a few faces. The novice priestess Liadrin, with whom she was friends with. Her sister Alleria, some of the trainees from her squadron. She did not see Vereesa or Lirath anywhere but she highly doubted that her mother would let them watch a duel with the potential of becoming quite bloody.

 

It took only a few more minutes before the sunlight struck the big red gem in the center of the statue’s crown, so it lit up. Sylvanas tugged on her leather armour, securing it a bit more comfortably in place, before walking to the left end of the makeshift arena. The ranger was waiting for her on the opposite side. 

 

‘Welcome, quel’dorei! Welcome, Admiralty of Kul Tiras!’ her mother announced, voice ringing clear over the square. 

 

The sun was stinging in Sylvanas’ eyes already. She did her best not to squint against it, that would be a show of weakness. 

 

‘Welcome to this honorary duel between Selyra Embermourn and Sylvanas Windrunner!’ 

 

Her opponent’s name left a bitter taste in Sylvanas’ mouth. She would show her to treat nobles with respect. 

 

‘They shall duel to settle an issue that arose last afternoon, about the… honour of the young Lady Jaina Proudmoore. The victor will have their statements about said issue recognized as the truth.’ 

 

_ And it shall me mine,  _ Sylvanas thought.  

 

‘Ready your weapons!’ 

 

She drew her sword with the comforting sound of metal on leather, calmly holding it in her right hand. At least, she wanted to pretend that she was calm. She scanned the sides of the arena. Belore’s Priestesses were stationed all along the stands, their staffs at the ready, for when they had to heal anyone. Her eyes drifted to Jaina, who was anxiously looking at her opponent. Lieutenant Embermourn, as her name was, had decided to wear her pompous ceremonial armour again, which struck Sylvanas as extremely pretentious. She herself was only wearing the basic armour of every ranger in training.  

 

‘ _ Belore’dorei! _ ’ Lireesa Windrunner called out. ‘Fight!’ 

 

Sylvanas bolted to the center of the plaza, attempting to get there before her opponent. But Embermourn was faster, and much taller as well, taking larger strides to easily arrive first. She struck a vertical blow, slicing a path through the air so quickly that Sylvanas could hear the wind whistle around her blade. Dodging, she briefly lost her balance, yet still slashed at her opponent’s stomach, where her armour was weaker. 

 

Near elegantly, the older elf vaulted backwards. Then she stepped in, blocking Sylvanas’ next strike with such force that it sent a jolt of pain up the novice ranger’s arm. Sensing this weakness, Embermourn set a gruelling pace of slashes and stabs, gaining step by step on Sylvanas, who could only hope to block all the attacks. 

 

At last, she found the tiniest gap and dove under the sword, using her smaller size as advantage. The blade chipped a chunk off her pauldron, slicing right through the metal to the padding. With a cry of rage, Sylvanas struck her opponent’s leg, where the hardened leather greave was weakest. But apart from a sizable dent in the armour, she only managed to get a hard kick against her backside, so she fell on her face. She could already feel blood pooling in a scrape on her eyebrow. Wiping it off with her leather glove only made it worse, as she now successfully had it smeared all over her forehead as well. 

 

Breathing heavily, she stood up to face her assailant again. They circled around each other, as the blood trickling down the side of her face made it difficult to concentrate. This time, Sylvanas got the first strike in, hacking at Embermourn’s left arm. Despite hitting air, she got one more step in, slashing horizontally. The Lieutenant grunted as Sylvanas cut into her shin, drawing blood. 

 

Sylvanas grinned victoriously. She blocked the sloppy cut that followed and prepared to strike again, shifting her weight to one leg to throw it behind a thrust. Then Embermourn’s left fist connected with her temple and sent her staggering backwards. A flaming pain erupted in her right arm as the ranger’s blade sliced into her flesh. She stumbled backwards further, grasping her injury and panting heavily. 

 

‘Yield,’ her opponent hissed, taking a fighting stance like a snake ready to strike. 

 

‘No,’ Sylvanas grated, shaking her arm to stop it from trembling. For a terrifying moment, the thought “ _ Alleria was right about more than one thing,” _ flashed through her head. But she banished it. She could and would beat this woman and defend Jaina’s honour. The thought of Jaina sent warmth surging through her, so she sidestepped the next blow and surprised herself and her opponent with the strength of her own. It ricocheted off Embermourn’s chestplate, sending sparks flying. Now Sylvanas was the one setting the rhythm, forcing her opponent to back away more and more. If she could strike her injured leg again, the battle would be over. 

 

Harshly shouting, she threw herself upon her opponent, aiming a devastating blow downwards. But she wasn’t fast enough, and her injured arm hindered her more than she had anticipated. A sharp slap to the back of her head sent her barreling into the row of priestesses stationed by the stands. They quickly caught her by the arms and pushed her back into the arena. 

 

Sylvanas shook the black spots out of her vision, hearing the laughter out of the audience. Humiliated in front of them, in front of her mother, in front of  _ Jaina.  _ She spat on the ground, furiously wiping more blood from her brow. 

 

The older elf regarded her haughtily. ‘Yield, little recruit.’ 

 

‘Never.’ 

 

They crossed blades again, quicker, more furious than the last time. Embermourn lifted her blade high so Sylvanas prepared to duck underneath it. But the blade was not meant to strike. When she bent her knees, the Lieutenant rotated the weapon a fraction, so the sun reflected off the blade, right into Sylvanas’ eyes. Her vision went white, she missed the slash she had at the ready. A blinding stab of pain followed as she lost the strength in her right leg. And she did not even see the armoured fist coming until she smacked against the stones again. 

 

She did manage to hold on to her sword and she had to use it as a crutch to pull herself from the ground. Groaning in pain, she glanced down at the wound, mildly alarmed by the amount of blood that streamed over her thigh. Embermourn opened her mouth, but Sylvanas already knew what she was about to say. Screaming, she stormed forward, ignoring the burning pain in her leg with every step she took. Colliding with her opponent was far from the most graceful thing she had ever done, but it seemed to work, as she blindly stabbed at the ranger’s body, hoping to land a hit. Then her opponent’s gloved fingers dug into the wound on her arm and her vision went black for a moment. 

 

Enough for Embermourn to land a diagonal slash across her stomach. 

 

Sylvanas barely recognized the gurgling scream as her own. 

 

She fell onto her back, losing her sword in the fall and grabbing at the gash in her armour. Dark blood welled up from the wound, quickly soaking her padding and the clothing she wore underneath it. She gasped for air, but could not breathe. Then she heard a horrified screech. 

 

Jaina. 

 

Jaina cried her name. 

 

Rolling onto her side sent black spots dancing across her sight. To her own horror, Sylvanas spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, already feeling more in her throat. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, holding on to her stomach in a pitiful attempt to staunch the blood flow. 

 

‘Is this the daughter of the Ranger-General?’ Embermourn mocked. ‘Is this the best of her squadron?’

 

Sylvanas groaned weakly. Every breath she took was a chore, a rough, wheezing task that threatened to make her black out. She felt her torn muscles twitch and strain as she struggled to her feet. 

 

Her sword was far out of her reach. The older elf put her foot onto it for good measure. 

 

‘Yield, or I will cut you to pieces,’ she growled. 

 

Sylvanas staggered upright. Clenching her hands into fists, she tried to take a fighting stance. Her balance failed her and all she managed was a shaky stumble. As she let go of her injury, a new flow of blood washed over her stomach. But she would not fall yet. No, she had to defend Jaina. Her honour. As all rangers should do. 

 

Screaming in rage, she charged. 

 

Embermourn stood there calmly, spinning her sword as if she had all the time in the world. And Sylvanas did not even spot the dagger in the experienced ranger’s left hand until it was buried several inches into her chest. 

 

Staring at the gleaming metal sticking out below her sternum in shock, Sylvanas managed to keep her footing for a second longer. Then everything blurred and she fell sideways as all strength left her. She felt a wet  _ splat _ around her as she landed in her own blood. Panicked voices reached her ears. Someone turned her onto her back. She wanted to breathe, but couldn’t. Her throat was being squeezed shut. Uncontrollable spasms ran up and down her body as she struggled to stay conscious. Suddenly, she knew it. She was dying. She was dying in front of half of Silvermoon’s inhabitants. In front of Jaina. 

 

_ Jaina.  _

 

She would never see her bright smile again. 

 

Desperately, she tried to stay awake, even when a stream of blood was forced out of her mouth by her straining muscles. It was of no use. Within seconds, the world went dark around Sylvanas Windrunner. 

 

~~~~~

 

For a few moments, Jaina did not completely understand what had happened. Sylvanas, though very bloodied, had bravely charged at her opponent again. Jaina had been silently wishing for her to yield since the first chance she had been given. She knew that the young elf was much too proud to do that but she still hoped that she would save herself the embarrassment of being beaten unconscious. 

 

When Sylvanas suddenly stood still, Jaina squinted, peering against the sun to see why she did that. Then she cried out in horror, Sylvanas’ name leaving her throat before she was aware of it. A swathe of red cut through her armour. Blood quickly began to pour over the leather, as the brave elf stumbled backwards, holding a hand against her stomach. She fell backwards, landing roughly onto the stones. 

 

Jaina muffled her scream in her hands, wide-eyed and terrified. This was her fault. Next to her, Derek was mumbling a stream of no’s. Blindly, Jaina reached out and held onto his arm. 

 

Sylvanas was getting up. Jaina could barely believe her eyes but Sylvanas was actually pushing herself to her feet. Though the Admiral’s daughter was scared that the elf’s guts would fall out if she let go of her wound, Sylvanas balled her hands into fists and swayed on her feet. 

 

Jaina stood up. There was no way that Sylvanas could still fight. There was no way she was  _ allowed  _ to fight anymore. She tried to get the attention of the Ranger-General. Surely Sylvanas’ own mother was able to stop the fight. 

 

But before she could step into Lireesa’s line of sight, Sylvanas charged with a raw scream. She swung her fists wildly at her opponent, who casually twirled her sword in her hand. Then, as quick as lightning, she flicked her dagger out of its sheath with her unoccupied hand. Jaina wanted to scream a warning, but she simply wasn’t fast enough. Her shriek died in her throat as the older elf thrust the dagger into Sylvanas’ chest. 

 

Together with the priestesses who had been stationed along the sides of the makeshift arena Jaina rushed forward, clambering over the wooden front of the stands. She had already thrown one leg over it when someone pulled her back. Outraged, Jaina turned around. And she looked into her mother’s knowing grey eyes. 

 

‘Mother, let me go!’ she cried, but Katherine’s grip was too strong. 

 

‘It’s better to stay here, Jaina,’ she said. 

 

‘No!’ 

 

‘Yes. There is nothing you can do for her now.’ 

 

Terrified, Jaina realized that her mother was right. She was right and that fact was more frightening than the outcome of the battle itself. This was her fault and she could do nothing to help. She had gotten the young elf killed and hadn’t been able to stop it. Grasping her mother’s long coat, she sobbed into the fabric as her legs gave out. 

 

‘No,’ she cried, and “let me go”, and “let me help her.” But her mother wrapped a strong arm around her and held her tightly against her. Jaina felt the energy of the Light on her skin and only then did was she allowed to turn around. The last thing she saw of Sylvanas was how a squadron of healers lifted her bloodied body onto a stretcher and rushed the elf to the nearest temple. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interestingly, many people thought that Syl would win the duel. Come on, a little recruit against a fully trained Lieutenant?
> 
> Don't harm the author, please


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young elf was deathly pale, not much more colourful than the bedsheets or the bandages around her body. Her face was bruised and had several gashes in the skin around her eyebrow. Despite the fact that the blanket was drawn up to her collarbones, Jaina could spy the clean linen wraps around her torso, crossing over her shoulders and back down to her chest. Her long ears were slack, unmoving on the pillow, while her silvery-blonde hair was spread out on the cotton surface. There was a cup with water on it.
> 
> ‘I’ll get some new, this has to be stale by now,’ Alleria said as she stepped in and picked the cup from the cabinet. ‘Jaina… do you need a moment alone? Would you prefer it if I stayed here?’
> 
> There was such a similarity between her behaviour and that of her own elder siblings that Jaina very nearly smiled. ‘I’d like to stay with her,’ she quietly admitted.
> 
> Alleria swiftly turned to the door, her blonde hair whipping around in time with her green cape. ‘Oh, that… that’s fine as well. I will get a chair for you.’ 
> 
> Then she paused by the doorstep and said: ‘She will wake up eventually, don’t worry.’
> 
> ‘I know. It’s just… I would like to be here when she does.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally there's fluff!!

Jaina could not sleep. She had been tossing and turning around in her bed for the entire night. It had not been  _ confirmed _ that Sylvanas was dead, she had few doubts about it after seeing the young elf’s body as she had been carried to the temple. The brave, kind elf was dead and it was her fault. Jaina turned her pillow around to find a dry spot to cry onto. Her eyes were raw from it. When she did fall asleep, she was plagued by horrible nightmares about Sylvanas, who chased her on the streets of Silvermoon, slathered with blood. Her eyes were a glowing red, her skin wilting grey. Jaina awoke with a gasp. She would rather not sleep if those dreams were all her mind served her. 

 

When the sun had started peeking over the horizon just barely, her brothers both came to her bedroom door. 

 

‘Jaina, you in there?’ Derek asked. 

 

‘She’s in there, where else could she be?’ Tandred chimed in. 

 

Jaina sighed. ‘Go away.’ 

 

‘There’s ‘nother elf here. She wants to see ye.’ 

 

From the rattling that followed, it seemed as if her brothers were trying to open the door. Jaina burrowed deeper underneath the blankets and yelled at them to get lost. A lot of hushed whispering sounded behind the door. 

 

‘Just tell her, she’ll hide in there forever otherwise,’ Tandred mumbled. 

 

Jaina’s heart shot into her throat. They couldn’t mean to tell her that Sylvanas had perished for good. She wanted to cling on to her last scrap of hope. 

 

Derek cleared his throat. The doorknob tilted downwards as he most likely laid his hand onto it. ‘So um…’  he started. ‘The elf, who is the sister of the one you think is dead, says that her sister is in fact not dead. She’s just unconscious… she’s in their house, I think.’ 

 

Instantaneously, Jaina jumped up from her bed and rushed to open the door, slamming it open into Tandred’s face. Hastily apologizing, she bolted down the staircase, slipping and sliding with her bare feet. A huge wave of relief washed over her. 

 

When she arrived downstairs, she was greeted by a tall elf in green armour, who was talking to her father. 

 

‘She will be alright,’ she said. ‘It may take some time, but thank Belore, her wounds will heal.’ 

 

‘Thank the Tides,’ Daelin agreed. ‘I would hate it if we were to blame for your sister’s death.’ 

 

‘The only one to blame is Embermourn. My mother has confided to me that she will demote her in rank, for her unnecessary violence during the duel.’ 

 

Jaina stood still in the door opening while they spoke. Then the high elf noticed her. 

 

‘Lady Jaina,’ she said with a small bow. ‘I’m Alleria Windrunner, Sylvanas’ elder sister. Would you like to visit our manor to see her?’ 

 

‘Y-yes! I mean, yes, I would like that very much. I mean, I'm Jaina… of course, you know who I am.’ 

 

As Jaina rambled her way through a greeting, a thank you and a confirmation that she absolutely needed to see Sylvanas, she slowly backed away until tying up her stammering with a “I’ll be downstairs in a moment again!”. Then she rushed to her room to wash her face and put on some real clothes other than her sleeping wear. 

 

Once on the streets, blushing and apologizing to the older elf, who said that it was all fine, she asked: ‘Is… is Sylvanas really going to be alright?’ 

 

Alleria nodded. ‘She lost a lot of blood, nearly bled to death on the way to the temple. Her wounds are deep and her ribs were broken by the stab she received, but there will be no permanent damage, according to the priestesses.’ 

 

Jaina felt as if she could sob in relief. ‘Thank the Tides.’ 

 

They walked to the Windrunner’s family manor in relative silence. It was a grand house, befitting of a Ranger-General and her family. As Alleria held the gate open, Jaina gawked at the lavish garden that encircled the building. There was a miniature river that lead around the side, and as Jaina followed Alleria over the cobbled path next to it, she stared in awe at the finely engraved stones of the walls. She could feel the thrum of many layers of protective spells in them. When having rounded the building, they arrived on the wide terrace. Behind it lay a garden so big that Jaina could only see it as a private park. Another elf ran up to them, nearly stumbling over her little blue sundress. 

 

‘Alleria!’ she called out, jumping into her sister’s arms as Alleria knelt down. 

 

‘Hey, Little Moon,’ Alleria said, petting her silvery hair. ‘Has mother left already?’ 

 

‘ _ Mhmm! _ ’ 

 

‘Well then, you go and play with Lirath. Don’t wander too far into the garden, alright?’ 

 

The little elf nodded enthusiastically and hobbled off towards the right side of the terrace. 

 

‘That was Vereesa, the second youngest Windrunner,’ Alleria explained. ‘She hasn’t seen Sylvanas yet. Mother didn’t want to let her into the bedroom.’ 

 

‘Is it that bad?’ Jaina carefully asked while they walk up one of the two spiraling staircases that adorn either side of the large hall. 

 

Shrugging, Alleria said: ‘Everything looks worse than it is in the eyes of a child.’ 

 

There was a kind of ominousness in her words that Jaina did not like. When Alleria led her through a long hall, she started to look more and more at her own feet. At last, when they arrived all the way at the other side of the hall, Alleria opened a door. There was a large hawkstrider painted onto the fine woodwork, with a gilded inscription in Thalassian underneath it. Jaina took it to be Sylvanas’ name. 

 

‘There she is,’ Alleria said, waving a hand at the bed at the far end of the room. 

 

With a gasp, Jaina crossed the room in a run. She very nearly fell, her cloth slippers losing their grasp on the red marble. ‘Sylvanas!’ she called out while coming to a standstill besides the bed. 

 

The young elf was deathly pale, not much more colourful than the bedsheets or the bandages around her body. Her face was bruised and had several gashes in the skin around her eyebrow. Despite the fact that the blanket was drawn up to her collarbones, Jaina could spy the clean linen wraps around her torso, crossing over her shoulders and back down to her chest. Her long ears were slack, unmoving on the pillow, while her silvery-blonde hair was spread out on the cotton surface. Jaina’s eyes flitted from Sylvanas’ pale form to the nightstand besides the bed. There was a cup with water on it, several books and some woven leather jewelry. 

 

‘I’ll get some new, this has to be stale by now,’ Alleria said as she stepped in and picked the cup from the cabinet. ‘Jaina… do you need a moment alone? Would you prefer it if I stayed here?’ 

 

There was such a similarity between her behaviour and that of her own elder siblings that Jaina very nearly smiled. ‘I’d like to stay with her,’ she quietly admitted. 

 

Alleria swiftly turned to the door, her blonde hair whipping around in time with her green cape. ‘Oh, that… that’s fine as well. I will get a chair for you.’  

 

Then she paused by the doorstep and said: ‘She will wake up eventually, don’t worry.’ 

 

‘I know. It’s just… I would like to be here when she does.’ 

 

With a thoughtful hum, the high elf disappeared into the corridor. Jaina sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for her to return. Deep in her chest, a small warmth began to bloom outwards. She frowned, carefully lifting a hand to Sylvanas’ brow, feeling how there was life within her. Then she smiled, a barely noticeable twitch of her mouth. 

 

~~~~~

 

Sylvanas groaned as she awoke. Her entire body felt heavy and sore. She also felt the constraining wraps around her every limb, stomach and chest. Bandages. Everything was still fuzzy when she opened her eyes a tiny bit. Then, ever so slowly, her surroundings came into focus. She saw the familiar woodwork of the ceiling of her room, and the morning sunlight filtering in through her windows. It felt very nice to be in her house, her temporary house that was used whenever her mother had duties to attend to in Silvermoon. She still preferred Windrunner Spire, but it was much better than waking up in a temple. Then she heard the startled little noise from her bedside. 

 

An admittedly disheveled Jaina was sitting on a stool there. Yet even with hair in tangles and her eyes tired, Sylvanas saw beauty in her. She wanted to sit upright, but only managed a few twitches before a stab of pain coursed through her stomach. 

 

Hastily, Jaina got up and sat down on the mattress, laying a cool hand onto Sylvanas’ shoulder. Shocked as she was by the contact, Sylvanas immediately went slack and sagged back into the pillows. She coughed when her healing ribs were jostled painfully. Jaina bent to retrieve something from the nightstand. A cup with water. Sylvanas took it with a shaky left hand, since her right arm stung when she tried to wrestle it from under the blankets. Sipping the lukewarm water, she gagged. 

 

‘It has soured,’ she said, her voice was little more than a rough croak. ‘I would kill for some cold melon juice right now.’ 

 

‘D-do you want me to get some for you?’ Jaina asked, placing the cup back onto the nightstand. 

 

‘No! I’d rather… have you… s-stay?’ 

 

Sylvanas felt her ears wilt and go lax when she said that. She shrunk underneath the blankets, ignoring how her stab wound burned. Jaina, the very person for who she had fought, was sitting right there. She did not seem hate her for losing, she did not berate her for anything, she just sat there looking very concerned. 

 

‘Alright,’ Jaina said, blushing. ‘I guess I could stay here for a little longer.’ 

 

_ A little longer?  _ Sylvanas frowned. ‘For how long have you been here?’ 

 

‘About a day, I think? From morning to morning.’ 

 

‘A  _ day _ ?’ 

 

Now Sylvanas rose again, successfully managing to sit upright and grasping Jaina’s upper arm for balance. The young mage looked alarmed, steadying Sylvanas when she keeled over to the side. 

 

‘I’ve been out for more than a  _ day, _ ’ Sylvanas said. ‘I need to go to Vereesa, she will be worried! I need to talk to mother… I need to wash. Is - is it very bad?’ She felt very sweaty and gross, all of the sudden. 

 

But Jaina, who was so close to her that Sylvanas could feel her breath on her skin, shook her head. ‘You’re fine, Sylvanas. Honestly. You should rest, don’t strain your injuries.’ 

 

Without noticing, Sylvanas had started to lean into her touch, trembling every so slightly as a wave of exhaustion washed over her, in time with Jaina’s grip becoming tighter. She felt the wound across her stomach starting to become more and more painful. Sitting upright was causing the injury to crumple uncomfortably. Sickness rose in her stomach as Jaina laid her down again. She had very strong arms, for a mage. If the people of Kul Tiras were good seafarers, perhaps Jaina had gotten so strong from sailing? 

 

Her weakness was embarrassing, Sylvanas thought. But she had to cough again, feeling the leftover taste of blood in her mouth. Her voice was a tiny squeak when she said: ‘I’m hungry.’ 

 

Jaina instantly stood up. ‘I’ll get some food for you… Just promise that you’ll stay put, okay?’ 

 

‘A-alright.’ 

 

Sylvanas sunk back underneath the blankets, pulling them over herself with her good arm. She wished for Jaina to come back so she could feel those arms again. For what seemed like the hundredth time since Alleria had come to the barracks, she thought about her sister’s words. Yes, she was smitten with the girl and she had to say it before the family left for Kul Tiras again. But did she truly stand a chance with Jaina? After the disastrous duel? 

 

Carefully, she reached down to trace over her bandages. With every breath, she felt the hamper and hitch of the stab wound. She wondered how deep it was and if the priestesses had mended her flesh quickly enough to prevent permanent damage. As if they sensed it, which was not entirely unlikely, three priestesses of Belore marched into the bedroom. Two of them were fully trained, with their sun-shaped insignia on full display on their robes. The third was Liadrin. Sylvanas groaned loudly. 

 

_ ‘Why must it be you?’ _ she said in Thalassian. She would much rather see Jaina than a gaggle of healers. 

 

‘Because the girl is getting you food and we must clean and treat your wounds,’ one of the adult priestesses said. ‘As we have done every four hours since the duel.’ 

 

‘And we must wash you. You smell,’ Liadrin added. She wasn’t much older than Sylvanas but had too much authority already. 

 

With great apprehension, Sylvanas let them hoist her out of bed. She wanted to stand, but her injured leg buckled when it touched the floor and she would have fallen on her face if not for the priestesses. As they sat her down on the bath, which was at the same level as the floor, so Liadrin could sit behind her to hold her up as the other two started peeling the bandages off her body, Sylvanas looked into her friend’s eyes. They had already begun to fill with gold, as she was learning the healing arts of the Light. 

 

‘I hate this, Liadrin,’ she mumbled. 

 

‘Yes, I know. You would much rather cuddle with the Proudmoore girl right now.’ 

 

Sylvanas grew red. ‘Not cuddle! Just… talk.’ 

 

Liadrin laughed loudly. Clearly that was not completely acceptable Priestess of the Light behaviour, because the healer who was not ridding Sylvanas of her bandages shot Liadrin a wilting look. 

 

‘ _ Hmph,  _ I wonder what you were doing then, before we came up here. She was as red as the King’s robes when she ran into us,’ the novice priestess said.

 

‘Liadrin, by the Sun, I swear! We weren’t doing anything else than talking! We just-’ 

 

‘Hold her still, Liadrin. You are not supporting her back well enough. Here, place your hand securely against her spine, like so.’ 

 

The remaining healer placed Liadrin’s callous hand in the small of Sylvanas’ back before nodding at her colleague. Without much of a warning, she peeled most of the bandage off Sylvanas’ stomach, causing the young elf to clamp her jaws together to muffle her scream. With every fiber of her being, she wished that Jaina was with her instead. 

 

~~~~~

 

When Jaina arrived upstairs again, after seeing the priestesses leave through the garden, she found a clean but disgruntled Sylvanas sitting against a copious amount of plush pillows. She was wearing a fresh, loose shirt and easily fitting cotton pants. The elf eagerly reached for the plate in Jaina’s hands, devouring the stuffed pastries and fresh fruits that Jaina had brought. Her wet hair had left an imprint on the pillow and she winced when leaning backwards again. 

 

‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I just don’t like the priestesses. Too much messing around, too much fumbling, too many unpleasant potions and sticky salves.’ 

 

‘Understandable,’ Jaina giggled. ‘I’ve never been very fond of healers myself.’ 

 

‘I thought you were studying to become a mage?’ 

 

‘Yes, but not a healer!’ Jaina brightly said. ‘Antonidas says I have too much of a temper to become one.’ 

 

Sylvanas quickly swallowed her last bite of pastry. ‘You study under the Archmage himself?’ 

 

‘I do! It’s very… engaging.’ 

 

‘Tell me more, please!’ When Sylvanas leaned forward, her ears sprung upright next to her head. The sheer quickness of their movement made Jaina laugh uncontrollably. When trying to stifle herself to be able start a sentence, her eyes kept being drawn to how the ears flicked and twitched. Sylvanas had a wide, eager grin on her face and Jaina felt her face heat up again. 

 

‘Well,’ she started. ‘I study in Dalaran, where the best mages supposedly come from.’ 

 

‘The best mages come from Silvermoon,’ Sylvanas said, puffing out her chest but quickly shrinking into herself when undoubtedly straining her wounds. 

 

Jaina shook her head.  _ Elves,  _ she thought, before going on: ‘But yes, I study under the Archmage. For now, I still need to specialize, but I’m already leaning more towards combat spells than true healing or trapping magic. I have a special talent for water-based magic, given where I come from, so-’

 

As she spoke, Sylvanas listened. The curious elf wanted to know all about Jaina’s training, the city of Dalaran itself, what it was like to channel vast amounts of arcane energy. When Jaina had regaled everything she knew to tell to Sylvanas, the ranger recruit asked her about Kul Tiras. 

 

‘How is your homeland? I’ve heard it’s… cold.’ 

 

‘As opposed to here, everything is “cold”,’ Jaina joked. ‘Kul Tiras, Tiragarde Sound, where I live, is mostly cold because of the winds, that often come from Northrend.’ 

 

She told Sylvanas more about the sea around Boralus, the ships, the city. With rapt attention, the elf devoured all the information, her eyes twinkling all the while. She then asked Jaina to tell her about her home, Proudmoore Keep. And so, Jaina told her about the sturdy castle, which could weather any storm. About the surprisingly warm interior, about the grand views from the towers, about its history and its recent renovation at the hands of her father. 

 

‘I want to visit Kul Tiras, when I’m healed,’ Sylvanas decided. It sounded like a very final decision. ‘Can I come to Proudmoore Keep?’ 

 

It sent a raging blush up Jaina’s face. And to her surprise, the tips of Sylvanas’ ears had grown very red as well. 

 

‘Well, of course!’ she said. ‘When I’m not in Dalaran, I’m… I’m sure we can find a moment when we’re both not… on duty?’ 

 

Eagerly nodding, Sylvanas gave her a smile from ear to ear. ‘I would like that very much.’ 

 

If her ears could sit up any straighter, Jaina was sure that the young elf would start to hover upwards. Apparently she was staring at them, because Sylvanas asked her what was wrong. 

 

‘N-nothing!’ Jaina stammered. ‘Just… your ears. They are very -  _ eh,  _ distracting,’ she blurted out. By the Tides, what in her right mind had she said? 

 

To her surprise, Sylvanas laughed loudly, petering into a cough, which concerned Jaina. But the elf quickly sat upright, shuffling back over the mattress until she leaned with her back fully against the pillows. She bent her head, so her ears came a lot closer to Jaina. 

 

‘Do you wish to touch them?’ she carefully asked. ‘B-because you can! You’re allowed to, I mean.’ 

 

‘Yes… I’d like to!’ 

 

Blushing just as madly as Sylvanas, Jaina hesitatingly reached out. Sylvanas did her best to stay still, but Jaina felt her shivering when she touched the very tip of her right ear. It was warm, much warmer than she had expected. And very soft, nearly silky in texture. With a quiet chuckle, she took it in between her fingers. It moved and twitched in her grasp, however lightly she held it. Beneath her, Sylvanas started to giggle, trying her best to hold in her laugh. 

 

‘That tickles,’ she snorted. ‘A lot.’ 

 

‘O-oh, I’m sorry!’ Jaina let go of the ear, which flicked alongside Sylvanas’ head. 

 

The young elf lifted her head a bit and looked at Jaina with those bright silver eyes. ‘You don’t have to stop,’ she said. ‘Just be sure not to hold it so lightly. Alleria does that when she wants to tease me.’ 

 

So Jaina did not stop. For the next while, she softly stroked along Sylvanas’ ears. She found out many interesting things. Such as the fact that when she softly tugged on the tougher cartilage of the top, Sylvanas sighed and her ears drooped, completely relaxed. Or that the elf seemed to sink into a kind of trance when she kept up her firm motions for a while. She felt her heart beat madly in her chest when Sylvanas looked up at her again, eyes half closed and a silly smile on her face. While tracing a line over the ridge of the elf’s ear, it occured to Jaina that this touching, the kind of trust that Sylvanas had in her, the closeness that they shared, were not exactly things that mere acquaintances would do. 

 

_ Are we acquaintances?  _ Jaina wondered.  _ Are we something else? Are we friends?  _

 

Sylvanas had fought for her, for her honour. She had nearly died for her, too. And still the elf trusted her, even wanted her close. She was completely relaxed and had taken to leaning into Jaina’s shoulder, making soft, satisfied noises every now and then. Jaina would very much like to have a true friend like Sylvanas. And she was fairly certain that the elf would repocriate that notion. 

 

She had to ask, she could not leave the tension within herself. ‘Sylvanas,’ she said, stopping her ministrations. 

 

Sleepily, Sylvanas righted herself up, her ears shifting from their drooping position to stand alongside her head. ‘Yes, Jaina?’ 

 

‘I wanted to ask you, if you-’ 

 

She was interrupted by the loud padding of footsteps outside the chamber, in the hallway. 

 

‘What’s that?’ she asked. 

 

Sylvanas sighed. ‘Siblings,’ she said. ‘Surely you know the sound?’ 

 

‘My brothers are a little too old for that, I think.’ 

 

‘Ah, being the youngest of the lot has its perks, I suppose.’ 

 

The footsteps halted. Both Jaina and Sylvanas sat on the bed, cautiously waiting. A lot of giggling followed. Sylvanas sighed. 

 

_ ‘Anaria shola?’  _ she asked, something Jaina recognized as meaning “speak your business”. 

 

‘’ _ Vanaaaas _ ,’ a small voice sounded. ‘You need to come down. We’re eating!’ 

 

‘I need to come “downstairs”, not “down”. And we are going to have dinner, you mean?’ Sylvanas said, turning to Jaina. ‘That’s Vereesa. And her Common could be better.’ 

_ ‘Aranal, Sylvanas. Minn’da shindu thalas,’  _ Vereesa said from behind the door.  __

 

Sylvanas scrunched up her face, prompting Jaina to ask what was wrong. 

 

‘That I need to get up, and that my mother is home,’ the elf answered. ‘I’m not looking forward to being chewed out by her over dinner. Could you help me?’ 

 

Her little sister giggled again from the corridor. Jaina didn’t doubt that she could hear every word, given the acute hearing that the quel’dorei had. 

 

‘ _ Anar’alah!’  _ Sylvanas spat.  _ ‘Kim’lune _ , go downstairs and tell mother we will be there soon. It’s rude to eavesdrop!’ 

 

‘What did you call her?’ Jaina inquired. 

 

‘ _ Kim’lune,  _ Little Moon. It’s what the entire family calls her.’ 

 

Sylvanas swung her legs over the edge of the bed, breathing out hard and hissing in pain. She grabbed Jaina’s held-out arms for leverage and pulled herself to her feet, quickly slinging an arm around Jaina’s shoulders when she nearly fell. With slow, limping steps, they made their way to the door. The trip down the winding staircase was more difficult, as it was too narrow for them to walk alongside each other. Sylvanas gripped the wooden railing so hard that her hand turned white, and there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead when she had successfully descended the stairs. Jaina asked if she wouldn’t prefer to eat upstairs, given her still weakened state. 

 

‘No, I must show that I’m strong,’ the elf said. ‘It’s better to be on my feet again than to lay around in bed all day.’ 

 

‘As long as you don’t worsen your injuries…’ 

 

After she had said that, Jaina secured Sylvanas’ arm around her shoulders again and led them both to the terrace. A table that she hadn’t seen before had been moved there. The entirety of the Windrunner family, at least, the ones that were in Silvermoon at the moment, was waiting for them. From Alleria, who was relaxedly leaning backwards in her chair, to little Vereesa and the even smaller toddler Lirath. At the head of the table sat Lireesa Windrunner, who was gazing very sternly at the approaching duo. Her glare could rival Katherine Proudmoore’s and Jaina was already afraid that the two mothers would get along a bit too well. 

 

‘Look who has risen from the grave,’ Alleria said, reaching for one of the dishes on the table. 

 

‘Not yet, Alleria,’ her mother sharply snapped. ‘Wait until everyone is seated.’ 

 

Vereesa jumped up from her chair, apparently immune to the Ranger-General’s scowl. She ran up to Sylvanas and Jaina, throwing her arms around her sister. 

 

‘ _ Belore!  _ Vereesa, that hurts,’ Sylvanas said while prying her arms off. She patted her sister somewhat apologetically on the head, before sending her to the table with a little push in her back. After staggering to her place on her mother’s right hand side with Jaina’s help, she sighed deeply and looked at the dishes. Her frown quickly disappeared.

 

Rather quickly, she piled her plate full. ‘ _ Mmm, _ glazed wildfowl! My favourite.’ 

 

‘Don’t think you will get it every day. This is because we have a guest.’ The look that Lireesa gave Jaina spoke not so much of “guest”, but more of “intruder”. Jaina, who had sat down on the opposite side of Sylvanas, felt herself shrink under the Ranger-General’s stern stare. ‘Which brings me to your  _ duel,  _ Sylvanas.’ 

 

The poor elf hadn’t even been able to take one bite of her food. 

 

‘I’m sorry, mother,’ she said. 

 

‘For what?’ 

 

‘For the duel. I know I should have done better.’ Sylvanas looked down at the table, seemingly wanting to slide under it and disappear. 

 

‘That is not where you should be sorry for, Sylvanas,’ Lireesa continued. ‘You should be sorry for challenging her, not for how you fought. That was better than what I had hoped for.’ 

 

Sylvanas jolted upright, eyebrows drawn together and face in a pained expression. ‘I - I can’t… thank you, mother, but I cannot be sorry for challenging her!’ 

 

There it was again. The same vigour that Jaina had seen during their walk to the dueling grounds. The determination that she had admired every since. 

 

Lireesa Windrunner gave her middle daughter a look that could have melted steel. ‘How so?’ 

 

Gritting her teeth, Sylvanas looked her in the eyes. ‘Jaina ranks above all of us, being a governor’s daughter,’ she said, nodding in Jaina’s direction. Whenever she brought up her status, Jaina felt her cheeks flush. It was not something that she was particularly proud of, since both she and her family firmly believed that privileges based on rank often were undeserved. Though she also knew that elves regarded titles with a lot more respect that Kul Tirans. 

 

‘And I could not let her be insulted, simply because she was curious!’ 

 

‘So, instead of explaining this to her in private, you challenged my Lieutenant,  _ in public,  _ to an equally public duel, in which you nearly got yourself killed?’ 

 

‘She was acting completely outside of her rights, mother -’ 

 

‘And when you challenged her, she acted fully within her rights by duelling you. She was my one of my best soldiers, who I now had to demote to the lowest rank for her violent behaviour, and I had to replace her with a less qualified ranger. All because you let your heart speak before your mind, and-’ 

 

‘ _ No!’  _ Sylvanas shrieked, jerking in her chair so violently that the table moved. 

 

The family fell silent. Even Lirath stopped garbling in barely developed Thalassian. As Jaina looked at Sylvanas and her mother in fright, she saw, to her even bigger horror, that the Ranger-General’s glowing blue eyes slowly shifted their focus from Sylvanas to her. Lireesa gave her a look that reminded her much of a furious hawkstrider, ready to attack. She drew her long eyebrows together, but before she could even speak a word, Sylvanas broke the silence with a harsh sob. 

 

The brave young elf was crying. She had clasped her arms around herself despite the fact that her right upper arm was still injured. And she shook with heavy, hoarse sobs. Jaina wanted to run over to her, comfort her, hold her close and tell her that she was brave and kind and that she should have been the victor of the duel. 

 

‘I couldn’t!’ Sylvanas said, looking up at her mother with reddened eyes. Her ears had shrunk close to her skull in both fear and sadness. ‘I’m a ranger! Or… I’ll be one soon, next summer. We’re supposed to be brave… and strong, we’re supposed to stand up for the innocent and the weak. We’re supposed to behave just and p-protect, fight the battles that others can’t… No matter what it costs us! And that’s exactly what I did!’ 

 

Alleria cleared her throat. ‘I must say, Syl has a poin-’ 

 

‘Stay out of this,’ Lireesa snapped. 

 

‘ _ Minn’da, _ ‘Nas-’ 

 

‘You too, Vereesa. And  _ you _ , especially.’ 

 

Jaina, who had just opened her mouth to speak, shrunk back into her chair. 

 

‘Sylvanas, listen to me.’ Lireesa leaned forward and rested her folded hands on table. 

 

‘No,’ Sylvanas mumbled, shriveling up further. Her entire form was shaking as she cried into her sleeves. 

 

‘ _ Anar'alah Belore _ , Sylvanas, look at me.’ 

 

With another “no”, Sylvanas turned herself away from her mother, groaning in pain as she strained her wounds. Lireesa stood up. For an instant, Jaina felt magic crackle in her hands. She alarmed herself with it, but tensed all the same, ready to strike should the Ranger-General make a wrong move. But Lireesa’s expression softened as she knelt down by Sylvanas’ chair, easily moving it so the unwilling elf was facing her. 

 

‘Look at me, Sylvanas, just look at me. You are behaving like a child, not like a brave ranger,’ she said, laying her hands onto Sylvanas’ underarms and slowly moving them away from her face. ‘I am angry at you because you made a fool out of yourself in public, twice. I am annoyed with you, a lot, because I now have a Lieutenant who, despite not being as arrogant as Selyra Embermourn, threatens to drop her arrows when drawing her bow. I am also irritated because you, and this is what you did, spoke out of anger without considering the consequences. Which is not what a ranger should do.’ 

 

She brought a hand up to Sylvanas’ face and slowly dried her tears. ‘What I did not say, because you did not let me finish, and level-headedness in tense situations such as these is also very much desired from a ranger, is that I am also proud of you.’ 

 

Sylvanas shuddered, letting go of a deep breath that she had been holding for a while. She still sobbed quietly, as her mother cupped her face and slowly stroked her neck. Then Lireesa frowned. 

 

‘You are bleeding, Lady Moon,’ she said, grabbing a napkin from the table and carefully untying the bandage around Sylvanas’ arm. 

 

‘Let it,’ Sylvanas mumbled, drying the remainder of her tears roughly. 

 

But Lireesa held the napkin against her arm. ‘I am proud because you stood your ground against someone who has thirty years of experience in the army for longer than I had dared to hope. I am proud because your bravery shone through, because I saw true fire in your eyes. Because I saw your training come to life in a way that is impossible to see in any type of practice fight or exercise. And most of all, because you were right. Yes, you were stupid and reached far above your skill level. Yes, you forsook most of the mental training that you have been given for dealing with these kind of situations. Yes, you lost and the city is rampant with rumours. But you were right in upholding an oath that you haven’t even sworn yet. The ranger's oath that you will swear next summer in the temple of Belore. Be brave and strong, protect the innocent, fight the battles that they cannot. You just effortlessly listed it all.’ 

 

Sylvanas had calmed down a little. When her wound had stopped bleeding, she slung her arms around her mother’s shoulders and pulled her close. After a long, tight hug, Lireesa gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. 

 

‘You know what the priestesses say, after the oath.  _ Belono sil'aru, belore'dorei.  _ Shoulder your burdens well, child of the Sun. And so you must do, Sylvanas. Be they light or heavy, be they pleasant or not. Carry your burdens with honour. The ones you already have,-’ Lireesa rested her hand on Sylvanas’ stomach, softly patting the layers of bandage that covered her wound. ‘- and the ones you will receive. Or the ones that you bring onto yourself.’ 

 

She looked very intently at Jaina with those last few words. 

 

‘Will you do that, my brave ranger?’ 

 

‘Yes, I - I will,’ Sylvanas sniffled. She wiped her nose and the corners of her eyes. 

 

‘Can we eat now?’ Alleria asked, already moving a forkful to her mouth. 

 

After Lireesa nodded, the entire family started eating. Jaina was still somewhat bewildered. Despite being unnerved and slightly fearful of the Ranger-General, she leaned forward ever so slightly and asked: ‘Is everything alright now? Are you not angry at me?’ 

 

‘Why would I be angry at you, young Lady Proudmoore?’ 

 

There it was again, the title that Jaina did not like having. 

 

‘Sylvanas now knows my opinion of the situation. Not only as her mother, but also as Ranger-General of Quel’thalas. You were not the one who stepped out of line, during the parade.’ 

 

‘I’m sorry,  _ minn’da _ , for behaving so childishly,’ Sylvanas spoke up. ‘I shouldn-’ 

 

‘Apologies are not necessary, Lady Moon. Knowledge of what you did, that is far more important. And you have already demonstrated to have it,’ Lireesa said. 

 

Apparently elves were not strangers to a stern talking to. Jaina could see the point that the Windrunner matriarch was trying to illustrate. Her responsibilities as Ranger-General clashed squarely with her feelings for her family. An issue that Jaina knew all too well, given that much the same difficulties came with her parents' rule over Kul Tiras. Yet something in Sylvanas’ violent reaction spoke of more than just wishing to prove a point about a ranger’s proper behaviour to her mother. The sheer protectiveness of the young elf’s response, and how upset she had become… Jaina couldn’t shake the thought from her head that it wasn’t only because she desperately wanted to protect Jaina’s honour. 

 

The Admiral’s daughter sighed while taking a bite form her food. No, she should keep her opinions to herself. The last thing that Sylvanas needed now were her rampant thoughts. She had much more important things to do, such as recovering and resuming her ranger’s training. However curious Jaina was to her exact motivations for the duel, it would have to wait. But she knew that she could not wait forever. 

 

‘- what do you think, Jaina?’ Lireesa asked. 

 

The blush that seemed to be ever present on Jaina’s face since she had first met Sylvanas now rose again. ‘I am sorry, I was… deep in thought. What did you ask?’ 

 

Alleria snorted with her mouth full of food. It struck Jaina as something not particularly befitting of a high elf, but then again, she had noticed that the eldest Windrunner child adhered less to the elven stiffness than her siblings. 

 

‘How do you like the food?’ The Ranger-General repeated. 

 

Truthfully, Jaina had not tasted much of it, as absorbed in her thoughts as she had been. ‘It’s… very nice!’ she managed. ‘Very… flavourful.’ 

 

More muffled laughing from Alleria, who then winced and shot a deadly look at Sylvanas. 

 

‘ _ Minn’da,  _ Sylvanas is kicking Alleria,’ Vereesa piped up, receiving a true death glare from the middle sister. 

 

‘Stop, all three of you. What is it with the childish behaviour tonight? Do we not have a guest in our house?’ 

 

As expected from an elf of her position, Lireesa could sound intimidating in all situations, even when she was trying to feed Lirath rice, but the littlest elf just spat it out again. With a sigh, is mother wiped it off his chin, then mashed some with the tiles of her fork for another attempt. It all only served to make Alleria laugh harder. 

 

‘I will miss this when I’m back at the Farstriders’ outpost,’ she said. 

 

‘Honestly?’ Sylvanas asked. 

 

‘Honestly.’ 

 

With the animosity between the sisters fading, Jaina found the courage to laugh quietly. When looking past the cultural differences, they were not all that different from her own siblings. 

 

The plates were empty, and Jaina felt full. On the opposite side of the table, Sylvanas yawned, her sharp fangs on full display. Apparently the constant blush that Jaina wore could get even worse. 

 

‘Lady Moon, you should rest.’ Alleria said. ‘Don’t deny it.’ 

 

‘I was not going to.’ Sylvanas cautiously looked at Jaina. ‘My wounds are starting to hurt again. Would… would you want to help me upstairs, Jaina? Only if you are finished with your dinner, of course.’

 

‘I don’t think I could eat anything else without feeling sick.’ 

 

As Jaina stood up, Lireesa followed her example, picking up Lirath and announcing that she was going to bring him to bed before coming downstairs again. Alleria offered to teach Vereesa a trickshot and hoisted her up to sit on her shoulders. Like that, the two ran off towards the garden together, Vereesa squealing in delight. A few servants of the manor came to the table to clean up. 

 

With a strained breath, Sylvanas got up too, grabbing Jaina like she was an anchor in the storm. Their journey up the staircase was harder than the one down. Jaina supported Sylvanas from the back while the elf clung to the railing and took slow, shaky steps. In the hallway to her room, she leaned heavily on Jaina, nearly dragging her down. With difficulty and quite some apologies from the elf, they got to her bedroom door, which Jaina opened. Once she had deposited Sylvanas onto the bed, she asked if everything was alright. 

 

‘I will be fine,’ Sylvanas assured her. ‘Are you going to return to your family now?’ 

 

‘I think so… it’s getting a bit late, and I think I have to accompany them to a council with elven nobility tomorrow,’ Jaina said, already sighing from the prospect. 

 

‘Boring, aren’t they?’ 

 

‘Very much.’ 

 

‘Well…’ Sylvanas awkwardly scratched the back of her head. ‘It was a very pleasant day, together.’ 

 

The word “together” seemed to hold more power than Lireesa’s entire dinner conversation. Jaina blushed and nodded, before turning to the door. 

 

‘It was. Yes, it was very pleasant… as you said!’ 

 

Slowly backing away and walking to the hallway, she smiled at Sylvanas. ‘I am sure we will meet again.’ 

 

The young elf nodded quietly. She suddenly seemed very small and pale. 

 

With a wave of her hand, Jaina softly closed the door behind her. Just as she wanted to breathe very deeply and pray that the absurd blush and her rampaging thoughts were not visible when she appeared downstairs again, Sylvanas called out: 

 

‘Jaina… wait, please!’ 

 

~~~~~

 

By the Goddess, what had she said? Sylvanas wanted to soundly punch herself in the face when Jaina came rushing back, looking panicked. 

 

‘Are you alright?’ she asked. 

 

Taking a deep breath, Sylvanas stared down at her feet and blurted out: ‘I’m fine… completely fine! I - I just… wanted to -  _ Belore! _ ’ She buried her face into her hands, wincing when stretching the wound on her bicep uncomfortably. It took another deep breath before she was able to ramble: ‘Alleria was going to come upstairs to refresh my bandages and put some kind of icky salve onto the wounds. Do - do you want to do that instead?’ 

 

To her surprise, Jaina did in fact not slam the door and flee the house. She cautiously approached and said: ‘Of course. Where are the bandages?’ 

 

‘Nightstand drawer,’ Sylvanas mumbled. She could only look at the ceiling and ponder why she had not vanished into a puff of embarrassed-elf-smoke already. 

 

Jaina started with the wound on her arm, slowly undoing the bandage and gasping when seeing the raw red slice run halfway around Sylvanas’ upper arm. It then occurred to the elf that Jaina had not seen the full extend of her wounds yet. The sound of the lid of the salve pot being unscrewed seemed very loud in Sylvanas’ ears. But when Jaina smeared the sticky stuff onto her marred skin, she made a high squeaking noise that increased her wish to melt into a puddle of elf sludge tenfold. 

 

‘Am I hurting you?’ Jaina asked. Her blue eyes stood so concerned and seemed so big in the soft light of the setting sun, when Sylvanas dared to look at her for a split second. 

 

‘N-no,’ she murmured. ‘Not at all.’ 

 

No, Jaina was not hurting her. Far from. Her hands were so soft and warm on Sylvanas’ wounds, and so utterly careful. It all got so much worse when she moved on to Sylvanas’ stomach wound. Firstly, she had to remove Sylvanas’ nightshirt. Now the young elf sat on the bed in just her chest wrap and her loosely-fitting pants, feeling naked and exposed. An edge of the wound had become stuck to the fabric with blood and the pain caused Sylvanas to arch upwards so violently that she nearly fell of the bed. A thin stream of blood began to trickle over her skin. 

 

‘Lay down! You’re going to hurt yourself like this,’ Jaina said, already placing a hand on Sylvanas’ shoulder an pushing ever so slightly. 

 

Gritting her teeth in an effort not to start whining in pain, Sylvanas laid down. She followed Jaina’s hand as she bundled the old bandages together to soak up the blood. Her warm fingers brushed over Sylvanas’ skin as she uncovered the rest of the wound. 

 

‘I - I’m so, so sorry,’ Jaina quietly said, her voice bordering on tears. 

 

For Sylvanas, it was as if all the strength suddenly seeped from her body. She knew that her wound was deep and big, running from the middle of her ribcage, across her navel and ending a few inches above her hip. Stitches were holding the edges together. It must have looked horrible to Jaina. 

 

“It’s okay”, Sylvanas wanted to say, but the words didn’t get out of her throat. Jaina started rubbing the salve around the frayed edges of the wound. 

 

Sylvanas could not take it anymore. 

 

‘J-jai-’ 

 

‘Am I hurting you, Sylvanas? You must say so, if I am! I don’t want to cause you pain. I… I’ve already caused you enough of that.’ 

 

‘N-no… Jaina, I have - I have to say… I have to tell you-’ 

 

_ Anar’alah,  _ she felt weak. Weak, tired and very, very small. This was not how she wanted to say it to Jaina. No, she wanted to stand on a bridge in Silvermoon, or on the terrace in Windrunner Spire, or in a lush meadow in the forest. But the chances of getting in either of those locations any time soon were slim. Lying injured and bleeding in bed was the only way. 

 

Jaina was still looking at her concernedly. She wore a worried frown and her hands had stilled, they were no longer on Sylvanas’ skin, instead resting on the bed sheets. 

 

‘I love you,’ Sylvanas said. She cringed, closing her eyes and breathing out harshly. ‘I love you a lot. A-and that’s why… why I didn’t want you to leave.’ 

 

She could not open her eyes. Instead she pressed her head deeper into the pillow and willed with every fibre of her body to disappear. Then Jaina’s fingers came to rest on her scrunched up brow, softly massaging the tension up of it until she dared to open her eyes. Jaina’s hand drifted down to cup her cheek. To Sylvanas’ unbridled surprise, the Admiral’s daughter was smiling. Again she noticed the dimples that Jaina got in her cheeks when she laughed, and the sheer softness of her smile made her feel weak deep inside. 

 

‘And here I thought that I would say it first.’ 

 

For a few moments, Sylvanas just gawked at her. Then she managed a weak chuckle. 

 

‘You… really?’ 

 

‘I was thinking about saying for it the entire day. But I didn’t, because you need your rest more than… well, a relationship.’ 

 

Sylvanas rose from the bed, grasping Jaina’s arm and holding it against her injured stomach. ‘Jaina, I would have  _ died  _ for you, if necessary!’ 

 

‘But you will not. Never again,’ Jaina said as she cupped Sylvanas’ face once again, brushing over her bruised and wounded brow. ‘Especially not now we’re doing this.’ 

 

‘Then, we are? Only if you want to, of course.’ 

 

‘I do, Sylvanas. I want to love you too.’ With a hand underneath Sylvanas’ upper back, Jaina laid her down onto the mattress again. ‘Now be still so I can finish this.’ 

 

Wordlessly, Sylvanas let her treat the raw edges of the wound. Though she noticed that Jaina was being noticeably more careful. The salve made the wound edges softer and suppler. It was still uncomfortably sticky. The bandages that Jaina wrapped around her stomach did not help either. She then helped with the bandage around her chest. As it was uncovered, Jaina gasped again, reaching out for the stab wound but reconsidering. Thereupon Sylvanas grabbed her by the wrist and pulled them together. 

 

‘D-do you feel it?’ Jaina asked in a whisper. 

 

‘A little, when I breathe deeply.’ 

 

‘Will that always remain?’ 

 

‘If you believe the priestesses, no. They said that it will fade in due time.’ 

 

Relieved, Jaina continued dressing the wound in clean linen. When she was finished, she put the salve away and asked: ‘What shall we do now?’ 

 

Growing red in the face, Sylvanas said: ‘Well… you could wash up, borrow some nightwear of mine and come lay here.’ She patted on the mattress next to her. If they were officially in love now, strides had to be taken, was her reasoning. 

 

Jaina started blushing at least as badly. She nodded fiercely. But before either of them could make another move, the door swept open. Jaina yelped, Sylvanas let out a string of expletives in Thalassian. Neither of them had heard Alleria coming. Though that was not very surprising, give the eldest Windrunner sibling’s Farstrider status. 

 

‘ _ Hah! _ ’ she exclaimed upon seeing them sitting on the bed. ‘ _ Hah!  _ I knew it! I knew it all along. From the moment you started gawking at her during the ceremony!’ 

 

‘Wait, you were there?!’ Jaina shrieked. 

 

‘Of course I was. I couldn’t let the chance pass to see the Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras. But never was I going to stand there, in the blinding sun, with those stuffy uniforms. No, I sat on a rooftop along the square, enjoying the shade.’  

 

Alleria looked very proud of herself. And admittedly, she had the right to gloat, a little. ‘Well, shall I send a messenger to your family that you’re staying here for the night, Jaina?’ 

 

Red as a beet, Jaina nodded, before bolting off into the bathroom, a spare nightgown of Sylvanas in her hands. Alleria sat down in her place on the mattress and patted Sylvanas on the shoulder while wearing the smuggest grin her sister had ever seen. 

 

‘I hate you, Alleria,’ she grumbled. 

 

‘ _ Nah,  _ you don’t,’ her sister said. ‘I’m proud of you, Syl.’ 

 

‘Like mother is proud of me?’ 

 

Alleria shrugged. ‘Mother is proud because you’re the little ranger she raised you to be. I’m proud because you finally spat it out so you can stop suffering in silence.’ 

 

‘Go away,’ Sylvanas said, glowering. ‘Go teach Vereesa more tricks.’ 

 

‘Vereesa is long asleep, but I’ll humour you. I’ll run to the Proudmoore’s residence, then I think I’m going to talk to mother again… about the question of succession.’ 

 

Sylvanas bit the inside of her lip. For a few years now, this discussion had been slumbering within their household. Lireesa would eventually retire, whether that was in a decade or in three centuries. Then, one of them would have to take over the title of Ranger-General. But Sylvanas nor Vereesa was old enough for it yet. And Alleria had already voiced her complaints. She found it a restricting title with too many responsibilities and would rather be freer as a member of the Farstriders.

 

‘Just say that you don’t want to be Ranger-General, and that she has to sit it out until I’m old and experienced enough,’ Sylvanas offered. 

 

‘If you’re not going to run off to Kul Tiras with Jaina.’ 

 

‘Fair point,’ Sylvanas admitted, blushing. 

 

Alleria sighed and stood up from the bed, brushing the wrinkles out of her breeches. ‘Mother wants to keep the title in the family, we both know that. But I don’t see her holding out for four hundred years until Vereesa has finally worked up the courage to take it. For now, it’s nothing you should be worried about. I’ll handle this one.’ 

 

She bent down and carefully hugged her sister. Then, as she walked to the door, Jaina emerged from the bathroom, clean and clad in Sylvanas’ nightgown. 

 

‘Good night, you two,’ Alleria said before closing the door behind her. 

 

After Jaina had closed the curtains and Sylvanas had settled underneath the blankets, the Kul Tiran girl sat down on the opposite side of the bed. By human standards, Sylvanas knew that elven beds were generally large, and hers was no exception, being born in a wealthy family. They easily fit together, and could even fit a third person in between them. Sylvanas folded the blankets back for Jaina, who laid down on her side. For a while, they looked at each other in silence. 

 

On her end, Sylvanas was trying ingrain every aspect of Jaina’s face into her memory. From the subtle crinkle that seemed to be ever present on her brow to her smooth golden hair. The freckles on her cheeks and her cute nose. The fine cut of her cheekbones and her soft mouth. Sylvanas wanted to kiss that mouth, very much. But she did not know how to start. So she worked her good arm out from underneath the blankets and cupped Jaina’s face, softly stroking over her temple. Jaina shuddered underneath her hand and smiled lazily. 

 

Ask. She had to ask it. And if felt mortifying.  

 

In the softest whisper, far beneath the volume she used at stealth tests with her squadron of rangers-in-training, Sylvanas said: ‘Jaina… can I kiss you?’ 

 

To emphasise, she moved her hand down Jaina’s face and rested her thumb on her lips. They moved underneath her hand. For a few moments, she could not hear what Jaina had whispered back. Then she understood. Jaina had said “of course”.    
  
Her heart leapt into her throat, but she leaned forward, feeling Jaina’s breath on her own mouth before pressing their lips together. 

 

Soft. The tiniest bit chapped in the middle. Softly moving against her own. Sylvanas ran out of breath much too quickly, when a dull stab in her chest reminded her of her injury. She swallowed and opened her eyes, which had slipped shut without her truly noticing. Jaina’s blue eyes were lidded, her pupils big in the low light of the bedside lamp. The soft smile she wore threatened to make Sylvanas’ heart melt inside her chest. Then Jaina moved, pushing herself up on one elbow and coaxing Sylvanas onto her back. 

 

‘My turn,’ she said. 

 

Once again, Sylvanas closed her eyes, though consciously this time. She expected the warm press of Jaina’s lips, that she very much craved, against her own. Instead the kiss landed on her injured forehead, soft and soothing. Jaina then kissed the bridge of her nose, the tip and then up again to the bruise and healing wound on her brow. Finally, Jaina’s lips touched her own and Sylvanas responded greedily, even carefully teasing her tongue against Jaina’s. When they broke the kiss, Jaina flopped onto her back and laughed. Sylvanas felt pretty giddy herself. Giddy and satisfied. She found Jaina’s hand underneath the blankets and grasped it. 

 

‘That was good… Very good. Now I’m tired,’ Jaina said. ‘Shall we sleep?’ 

 

Jaina hummed sleepily. ‘Good idea,’ she murmured, turning on her side and shuffling closer to Sylvanas. 

 

Because of the elf’s injuries, a full embrace was impossible. Jaina made up for it by putting her arm across Sylvanas’ chest, high up where the stab wound was not. The elf felt very warm and comfortable, snug beneath blankets and lover. She could not help a silly smile from ear to ear to slip onto her face. Suddenly, Jaina giggled next to her head. 

 

‘Your ears twitch when you’re happy,’ she mumbled. ‘It tickles.’ 

 

Promptly, she rubbed along the length of the closest ear. 

 

‘They’re not going to stop twitching if you keep giving them attention!’ Sylvanas said. 

 

Jaina relented, settling against Sylvanas and leaving her ears be. She lifted an hand in the air and with a resounding snap of her fingers, turned off the arcane lamp. Sylvanas wanted to say something about mages and convenience, but her tongue was too heavy in her mouth. As she felt Jaina’s body find its place against her own, she fell asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the glazed wildfowl is a small reference to Sylvanas’ favourite meal in my long fic series Within my Grasp.

**Author's Note:**

> Sylvanas why do you challenge someone you cannot handle?? You stupid little elf
> 
> There will be battle, then there will be fluff, don't worry


End file.
